Rainy week ahead for city

November 15, 2004

By Tony Parra

Snow caused Saturday’s six-man football state championship game to be postponed to Wednesday. Although no snow is in the forecast for the next week, Roosevelt County residents will the more familiar form of precipitation to deal with —rain.
The forecast calls for rain today and Wednesday following Monday’s showers.
Jim Kratzer, Cannon Air Force Base weather center meteorologist, said there was almost an inch of rain at 3 p.m. on Monday. According to Kratzer, the yearly rainfall as of mid-afternoon on Monday was 21.55 inches.
The forecast calls for showers likely today, unlike Thursday, which calls for a 10 percent chance of showers.
“When there’s a chance of showers then that means there may be rain,” Kratzer said. “For Tuesday and Wednesday it’s going to rain — it’s just a question of how much.”
Kratzer said the west Texas area will be hit hardest by the showers, today and Wednesday. He said it’s only cold enough for snow in parts of New Mexico where the elevation is more than 7,500 feet.
Portales Police Capt. Lonnie Berry suggested drivers commute at a slower pace through the streets of Portales because of the standing water. Berry said not doing so will put their own health at risk as well as health of other drivers. He said there are times when people drive too fast and splash the windshields of other drivers on the streets.
“It’s (splashing) kind of common,” Berry said. “It will cause lack of visibility for two or three seconds. That may not seem like a long time, but drivers will not be able to see potholes or any other hazards in front of them.”
The seven-day forecast calls for at least a 10 percent chance of showers every day until Sunday.